The special education teacher shortage in the U.S. continues to grow and the implication of this shortage is multifaceted. First and foremost, students that are eligible for special education may not be receiving the educational supports and services that they deserve and legally require. Additionally, this shortage may cause great financial…

This article shares the results from a quasi-experimental mixed-methods study of a promising transition-focused professional development approach. The 12-week team-based intervention resulted in positive outcomes among intervention group participants' knowledge and capacities. The intervention group exhibited statistically significant changes in…

Increasing the post-secondary readiness of students is a critical focus for districts nationwide. Many schools offer college, career, and military readiness counseling (CCMR) for general education students; however, little attention to no attention is paid to the post-secondary needs of students in special education programming. Federal…

Researchers have reported that preservice teachers are unprepared for teaching in inclusive classrooms (Gilmour & Wehby, 2020; Swindlehurst et al., 2019; Texas Education Agency, 2019). The purpose of this qualitative study was to analyze novice elementary educators' perceptions on their preparedness to teach inclusive classrooms. For this…

At a mid-size suburban school district located in Texas, secondary special education teachers are not integrating technology routinely into their content-based lessons, thereby not ensuring special education students have access to a guaranteed viable curriculum. The purpose of this basic qualitative research study was to explore secondary…

For years, policymakers, districts, and scholars have pushed for the inclusion of more Black male teachers in US public schools; however, their even smaller subset--Black male special education teachers--has been ignored, particularly by scholars. The results of this study provide insight into the recruitment and retention of Black male special…

Background or Context: With the implementation of three-dimensional science and high stakes testing, policymakers have bolstered science curriculum to include standards that engage students in scientific discourse while providing the needed guidelines for teaching science content. However, the field of science education has not been a policy focus…

The Inclusion of Children with Disabilities Act (IDEA) act requires that to the maximum extent possible, children with disabilities should be taught alongside the regular students. In line with the IDEA, advocates of inclusion argue that disabled students incorporated in a normal academic environment display improved academic achievement among the…

This quantitative study used a linear regression model to determine if a relationship exists between one independent variable (i.e., Socioeconomic Status) and one dependent variable (i.e., Specific Learning Disabilities). State level data was collected from publicly available databases in the State of Texas that delineate the percentage of…

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading and academic progress in the programs of Istation and Star Renaissance (Star Ren) in fourth grade special education students. Special education students in the selected school district appear to produce inconsistent…

Transitioning away from high school to postsecondary life can be a complicated process for any young person. This process can be made more difficult for students with disabilities if options are not put in place before they leave high school. This is where the transition process becomes an important development to help guide students with…

Purpose: The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to examine the extent to which differences were present in the reading achievement of Texas Grade 8 Emergent Bilingual students by their economic status, special education status, and ethnicity/race. In the first article, the extent to which economic status (i.e., in poverty, not in…

The role of the principal includes various obligations and responsibilities, including leading the school's special education (SPED) program. Many aspects inform how SPED students respond to the curriculum, including their learning needs, race, socioeconomic class, and other aspects that intersect and make their needs more complex. The researcher…

As the follow-up to an earlier examination of the frequency and outcomes trends of published court decisions under the IDEA for P-12 students, this updated analysis covers the 25-year period ending on December 31, 2022. The frequency trend for the most recent 10 years reversed the upward trajectory of the previous 15 years. The outcomes trend for…

Special education administrators have an influence over adapted physical education (APE) services, however little research to date has assessed special education administrators' knowledge of APE services. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine special education administrators' knowledge of APE services. Fifty-one special education…